192 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1696. 



officers connected with its proper regulation. Edward Dangger 

 was this year " attested Geager and Packer and Culler of this 

 County of Chester." 



The arbitrary rule of Governor Fletcher, under which Qua- 

 kerism found but little favor, continued about two years, when 

 the King and Queen Avere pleased to restore the government of 

 the province again to William Penn, very much to the satis- 

 faction of the people. The affairs of the Proprietary were not, 

 however, in such a condition as to allow him to visit the country, 

 and Thomas Lloyd having died, he again commissioned his 

 cousin William Markham as his Deputy. 



It came to the knowledge of the Concord and Chichester 

 Monthly Meeting, about this time, that two young persons of 

 the latter township, Avere engaged in certain studies and prac- 

 tices that, at this period, were regarded as very dangerous. 

 The serious gravity with which the subject was treated by the 

 meeting is really remarkable. 



" Some friends having a concern upon them concerning some 

 young men which came among friends, to their meetings, and 

 following some acts which friends thought not fit for such as 

 professed the truth, to follow, viz : Astrology and other arts, 

 whereupon it was stated to the meeting concerning Astrology and 

 other Sciences, as Q-eomancy and Chiromancy and Necromancy 

 &c. — It was debated and the sence of this meeting is, that the 

 study of these sciences brings a veile over the understanding, 

 and a death upon the life." — The meeting ordered the young 

 men, as well as their father, to be spoken to on the subject. 

 The conference with the former is given as follows : 



" Philip Roman and his brother Robert, friends of Chichester, 

 was speak'd to about those arts and sciences above said ; they 

 seemed to disown that is mentioned except the Astrology. Much 

 was said to them, but it was not received. At last they proposed 

 to the meeting, if they thought well of it, to confer with Nicho- 

 las Newlin and Jacob Chandler, and if they could convince them 

 that it was evil, they would leave it." The meeting accepted 

 the offer of the young men. At the next meeting (January, 

 1696) the committee reported that they had conferred with the 

 young men, and there had been "many arguments on both 

 sides — at length, Philip concluded with us that he did not know 

 that he should use that art of Astrology again, for he had denied 

 several that came to him to he resolved of their questions already. 

 Robert promised the same but with this reserve — unless it was 

 to do some great good by it. From which belief of some great 

 good, we could not remove him." This was not satisfactory to 

 the meeting. Philip was required " to give forth a paper to 

 condemn his practice of resolving questions in Astrology, con- 



